Members Billystrat Posted February 15, 2005 Members Share Posted February 15, 2005 Hey Guys, Today I picked up 2 acoustics. One is a no name (the logo has faded away off the headstock 60's 12 string. It is an exact copy of the old Gibson B-25-12. The other is 60's Kay 6 string with a real spruce top. Think Martin D-18 style. I got both guitars, strings and saddles for $40, so I don't have a whole lot of dough invested in this project. Anyway my question is there is a crack in the brace on the Kay. A majority of the brace is still intact with the back, but where is curves in on the end of the brace there is a crack. When you tap around on the back you can hear it bounce off the crack. How do I go about fixing this? Where could I get a proper clamp to fix this up. Thanks a bunch guys. Will post pics of my salvaged beauties when finished with them. I've been working on electrics for years, and even glued a headstock back on an acoustic that was completley ripped off, so I have some experience with repairing guitars. Thanks for reading and any tips, tricks, links would be very much appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bjorn-fjord Posted February 16, 2005 Members Share Posted February 16, 2005 This crack should be pretty easy to fix. If I understand correctly, the brace is simply cracked and no part of it is missing...If that is the case you can easily fix the crack without trying to rig some complicated bracing method. Instead of clamping, use the "go-bar" method. Cut a popsicle stick or similarly dimensioned piece of wood to a length that is just a hair longer than the distance from the top of the brace to the underside of the guitar top. Simply wedge the stick into place with one end resting on the brace directly above the crack and the other end contacting the underside of the soundboard. **IMPORTANT: Put a small piece of wood on the underside of the soundboard where your stick will rest to protect the softer soundboard material from the end of the stick**. The pressure from the stick will hold it in place. Do a couple of dry runs to get the stick fitted properly so that the pressure from the wedged stick is sufficient to close the crack. You will not need very much pressure to achieve this. Don't over do it. Once the stick is fit, you are ready for glue. Use cyanoacrylate glue. It's basically crazy glue and is available at model airplane type hobby shops. Deposit some glue directly on the crack and because the glue is so thin it will find its way into the crack and coat all the surfaces. Now install your stick and wait about 1/2 an hour and you'll be good to go. It might be an idea to cover the "glue end" of your stick with masking tape to prevent it from sticking to the brace. Good Luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GN-Nick Posted February 16, 2005 Members Share Posted February 16, 2005 I could be confused, but he is talking about a crack in the brace, not the top. To glue a brace back together you can use carpenters glue. You are going to need to find a method of clamping it. I wouldn't think this would be the prefered method, but in a pinch, what the heck. Don't use superglue on a brace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Billystrat Posted February 17, 2005 Author Members Share Posted February 17, 2005 Thanks for the tips. Before I went to bed last night I made struts out of some wooden hobby sticks, glued it up with some Elmer's Wood Glue and let it sit overnight. Took the struts out today and it looks pretty solid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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